The Daily Tar Heel
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893.
Thursday, March 28, 2024 Newsletters Latest print issue

We keep you informed.

Help us keep going. Donate Today.
The Daily Tar Heel

UNC women's golf posts strong showing at Darius Rucker Invitational

Following an impressive start at the Central District Invitational, the North Carolina women’s golf team continued its second spring season game at the Darius Rucker Invitational in Hilton Head, S.C. The Tar Heels finished 10th out of 17 teams and look to learn from their mistakes on the green.

First-year Brynn Walker found success early, shooting an impressive 2-over par in the first round.

“I was really confident in my swing,” Walker said. “The toughest thing there was I didn’t have any birdies, and I struggled with the putters. But overall, ball striking was the reason why I played well.”

Through the first two rounds, the Tar Heels shot a team score of 596, 28-over par, which placed them ninth overall on the second day. Sophomore Kelly Whaley continued her impressive play and finished the second round 2-over par, which led the team.

“I saw some positive things, but I obviously saw some things that we can do better,” head coach Jan Mann said. “Long Cove is a difficult course because of the green structure, and there always seems to be some strong wind.”

During the second round on Saturday, many players found that to be the problem and struggled to account for strong winds. Senior Leslie Cloots found her rhythm late in the second rate and finished with a second round score of 78, 7-over par.

“There were some strong winds and it wasn’t always the same,” Cloots said. “So paying attention to what the wind does, where you are, the trees, and seeing where the ball were really important.”

At the final round on Sunday, North Carolina shot a team score of 301, 17-over par, which dropped them one rank to 10.

Cloots, who finished 61st overall, was disappointed in her play, but hopes to learn from her experiences at Darius Rucker.

“It’s a good experience moving forward knowing what to work on,” Cloots said. “Hopefully, this will help motivate us in the future.”

“Keeping high energy and setting a good example were the most important parts.”

sports@dailytarheel.com

To get the day's news and headlines in your inbox each morning, sign up for our email newsletters.